jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第5部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Nervous　conversation　spread　through　the　crowd。　The　old　woman　ignored　it　and　asked；　〃What　is　it　that　you　think　you're　saving　us　from？〃
　〃He's　crazy；〃　the　guide　responded。　〃He's　hooked　up　with　a　bunch　offtakes　that　think　the　sky　is　falling。〃
　Anxiety　washed　across　the　kid's　face；　and　he　reddened。　He　looked　away　from　the　old　woman　to　his　sister；　pain　in　his　eyes。　Then；　with　what　could　have　been　embarrassment；　he　said；　〃I'm　saving　you　from　the　end　of　the　world！〃
　
　4。　　OFFSHORE
　
　We　were　three　days　into　the　desert　when　the　flood　occurred。　Great　waves　washed　over　our　caravan。　Three　men　and　two　camels　of　great　value　were　lost。　When　the　waters　receded　we　were　surrounded　by　a　great　number　of　fishes。　The　water　was　of　no　use　because　it　tasted　of　salt。
　…Abu　al　Assad；　1413
　
　Off　Naples；　Florida
　PREQUILT；　SATURDAY；　1：35　P。M。　EST
　
　　Ron　was　so　obvious　about　trying　to　please　Rosa　that　even　Chris　noticed　it。　〃Geez；　Dad；〃　he　said　finally；　〃why　don't　you　just　kiss　her？〃　Ron　took　the　kidding　but　didn't　give　up　trying　to　get　Rosa　interested　in　sailing。　He　showed　her　how　to　mind　the　helm；　hoist　and　lower　the　sails；　told　her　what　the　different　sails　were　called；　and　explained　the　pass　and　what　a　heading　was。
　He　let　her　take　the　helm　and　talked　endlessly　about　his　experiences　at　sea　and　the　time　he　had　sailed　with　his　uncle　in　the　greatest　of　the　offshore　races；　the　Fastnet。　With　forty…one　other　entries　they　had　set　sail　from　Cowes　on　the　Isle　of　Wight；　raced　to　Fastnet　Rock　off　the　coast　of　Ireland；　and　then　back　to　Plymouth；　England。　Thirty…two　petitors　finished　that　year；　and　Ron's　uncle's　boat　finished　seventeenth。　But　that　seventeenth　place　was　as　good　as　a　victory　in　Ron's　memory。　They　had　raced　through　fog　banks；　fought　whirligig　currents；　and　finished　in　the　middle　of　the　pack。　But　they　had　finished。　Ron　talked　about　it　with　more　passion　than　Rosa　had　ever　seen　in　him；　and　as　a　result　she　listened　respectfully。　Even　Chris；　who　had　heard　the　story　for　years；　listened　attentively　this　time。　Telling　the　story　at　sea　gave　it　a　feeling　no　living　room　could。　In　the　afternoon　Ron　brought　out　the　sextant　and　tried　explaining　navigation　to　Rosa　and　Chris。　Carmen　sat　at　the　helm；　a　bemused　look　on　her　face。
　〃The　key　to　figuring　out　our　position　is　what　we　call　the　navigational　triangle。　We　start　by　identifying　three　points　on　the　earth's　surface。　We　know　where　the　earth's　pole　is；　so　that　is　one　point。〃
　〃Which　pole？〃　Chris　cut　in。　〃There's　two；　you　know。〃
　〃Yes；　I　know。　The　closest　pole；　in　this　case　the　North　Pole。　We　also　know　the　geographical　position　of　stars　and　planets　。　。　。　that　means　where　the　star　or　planet　is　over　the　earth's　surface。〃
　〃But　the　earth　is　turning；〃　Rosa　pointed　out。
　〃Yeah；〃　Chris　echoed；　〃the　earth　is　turning　fast。　Maybe　a　million　miles　an　hour。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Ron　said　with　exaggerated　patience；　〃the　earth　is　turning；　but　not　millions　of　miles　an　hour；　more　like　a　thou…。　sand。　That's　why　we　need　a　clock；　a　very　accurate　clock。〃
　〃The　one　in　the　cabin；　right？〃　Chris　said。
　〃Right；　Chris。　We　leave　that　one　in　the　cabin　because　it's　set　to　Greenwich　mean　time　and　must　be　exactly　right。　Then；　I　set　my　watch　by　that　clock。〃
　〃I　thought　you　used　the　radio　to　set　your　watch；〃　Rosa　pointed　out。
　〃I　use　the　radio　to　see　how　far　off　our　clock　is　from　Greenwich　mean　time。　They　broadcast　Greenwich　mean　time　signals　so　people　at　sea　can　check　their　clocks。〃
　〃And　if　their　clocks　are　off　they　can't　navigate？〃　Rosa　asked。
　〃Yeah；　they　get　lost　forever；　and　bee　ghost　ships；〃　Chris　said。
　〃No；　they　just　need　to　correct　their　calculations　based　on　how　many　seconds　off　their　clock　is。　You　were　right　about　the　earth　moving；　but　we　know　where　a　star　will　be　above　its　surface　at　a　given　time。　We　use　the　Nautical　Almanac　to　find　that　out。〃　Ron　held　up　the　book。　Chris　reached　for　it；　but　Ron　pulled　it　out　of　his　reach。　〃I'm　not　finished　yet。　Okay；　so　we　know　where　the　pole　is；　and　we　know　the　point　on　the　earth's　surface　where　a　star　or　planet　will　be　directly　above　at　a　certain　time　of　the　day。　Then　we　use　our　position　to　plete　the　triangle。〃
　〃But　if　you　know　where　we　are　why　do　you　have　to　do　all　this？〃　Rosa　asked。
　〃Yeah；〃　Chris　echoed　his　new　sister。　〃If　we　know　where　we　are　why　do　we　have　to　do　this？〃
　〃We　don't　know　exactly　where　we　are；　we　estimate　it　based　on　course　and　speed　from　our　last　position。　But　an　approximate　position　isn't　good　enough。　We　have　to　know　exactly　where　we　are。　This　is　where　the　sextant　es　in。〃　Ron　lifted　it　out　of　its　box。　Chris　made　a　grab　again；　but　Ron　held　it　up　high。　〃I　use　the　sextant。　Maybe　I'll　show　Rosa　how　to　use　it　if　she　wants。〃
　〃What　about　me？〃　Chris　whined。
　〃Well；　maybe；〃　Ron　said　doubtfully。　He　looked　to　Carmen　for　help；　but　the　look　on　her　face　said　she　was　enjoying　his　predicament。
　〃We　know　the　three　points　of　our　triangle；　and　based　on　that　we　know；　at　a　certain　time；　how　high　the　star　should　be　above　the　horizon。　We　use　the　sextant　to　read　the　exact　height　of　the　star　above　the　horizon；　and　mark　the　time　of　the　reading。　Then；　since　we　know　for　sure　two　points　of　the　triangle；　we　can　adjust　the　position　of　the　third　point　based　on　the　difference　between　our　estimated　altitude　of　the　star　and　the　actual　altitude。〃
　Ron　looked　around　at　his　miniaudience。　Carmen　was　still　grinning；　Chris　was　staring　blankly；　and　Rosa　glared　angrily　at　him。　Ron　couldn't　imagine　why　his　navigation　lesson　would　make　her　mad。　Then　Rosa　blurted　it　out。
　〃This　is　geometry；　isn't　it？　This　is　some　sort　of　trick　to　get　me　to　do　homework；　isn't　it？〃
　〃No；　it's　not　a　trick。　It　is　geometry；　but　I　thought　you　would　be　interested。　。。。　I　mean；　you　have　to　do　this　to　sail　offshore。〃
　〃Just　what　I　want　to　do；　float　around　the　ocean　doing　geometry。　Just　how　often　do　you　have　to　do　these　calculations？〃
　〃Seven　or　eight　times　a　day。　You　do　the　first　before　sunrise；　a　couple　of　sun　sights　in　the　morning；　a　noon　sight。　。　。〃
　Ron　stopped　talking。　He　knew　he　was　making　Rosa's　hostility　worse。
　〃Eight　times　a　day？　You　have　to　do　the　calculations　eight　times　a　day？　And　you　get　to　get　up　early　to　do　them？　What　a　sweet　deal〃
　〃Well；　it's　not　that　bad。　Most　of　the　calculations　are　done　for　you；　you　just　use　the　tables；　or　the　electronic　navigator　in　the　cabin。〃
　〃I　know　if　I　tried　to　pay　someone　to　do　my　geometry　homework　you　would　ground　me　forever。　And　now　I'm　supposed　to　do　yours？　Well；　if　I　have　to　do　geometry　to　sail；　it's　another　good　reason　to　stay　on　land。　There　all　you　have　to　do　is　read　the　signs；　or　a　map。〃　
　〃But　the　stars　are　the　map　out　here。〃
　　　〃Yeah；〃　Chris　cut　in；　〃the　stars　are　a　map。　Kind　of　a　connect　the　dots。〃
　Ron　scowled　at　Chris　while　Rosa　got　up　and　stomped　down　the　deck　to　the　bow。　Carmen　gave　Ron　a　look　that　said　〃You　should　have　known　better。〃　Ron　thought　about　Rosa　and　then　he　thought　of　Bermuda；　and　then　he　got　depressed；　Chris　was　still　sitting　there　with　him；　looking　at　the　sextant。　Maybe；　Ron　thought；　if　I　get　Chris　interested　Rosa　will　e　back。
　〃You　want　to　see　how　the　sextant　works；　Chris？〃
　Chris　lit　up　like　a　kid　on　Christmas　morning。
　〃Yeah；　sure。　Can　I　hold　it　too？〃
　Ron　spent　a　few　minutes　with　Chris；　showing　him　how　to　sight　the　sun　and　the　horizon　and　make　the　readings。　It　was　clear　Chris　mostly　wanted　to　look　through　the　sextant's　telescopic　sight；　so　Ron　gave　up　and　let　him。　Rosa　never　came　back。　Instead　she　was　sunbathing　on　the　bow。　Finally；　Ron　set　Chris　up　with　a　fishing　pole　and　then　settled　in　next　to　Carmen　at　the　helm。
　
　The　Entrepreneur　sailed　southwest　into　the　afternoon。　When　Ron　dropped　the　sea　anchor　they　ate。　Carmen　had　cooked　crab　in　the　icebox；　and　they　cracked　and　ate　it　with　salad；　and　soft　bread　sticks。　The　lunch　warmed　Rosa's　heart　enough　to　get　her　talking　to　Ron　again。　After　lunch　Chris　talked　them　into　playing　spoons；　his　favorite　card　game。　Carmen　had　never　played；　and　Chris　expertly　explained　how　the　cards　are　passed　in　a　circle　until　a　player　gets　four　of　a　kind；　and　then　picks　up　one　of　the　three　spoons　on　the　table。　Then；　in　a　race；　the　other　players　try　to　grab　the　remaining　spoons。　Chris　cautioned　her　not　to　get　faked　into　grabbing　one　too　soon　but　in　the　first　round　feigned